Card machine guide · Entertainment & leisure
For kids' play cafes the Clover Station Duo is the usual starting point: entry fees, parties and cafe sales. Read on for the layout we would quote and the mistakes we see most.
✓ Installed by our team and supported by phone. Rates and equipment are quoted to your business.
At Merchant Fund Express, we set up Clover for which credit card machine is best for a kids play cafe: the right devices, the features that matter in your workflow and on-site training for your staff.
For most kids' play cafes we start with the Clover Station Duo. On the Station Duo the staff work on a large 14-inch display while the customer sees and tips on a second 8-inch screen. Tap, chip and swipe are all accepted and the printer is built in.
A play cafe combines entry fees, parties and food, with parents who stay for hours and a rhythm of open play and booked events.
Entry by child, memberships, party packages with deposits and a cafe menu.
Cards for entry and parties, taps at the cafe counter and tips on party packages.
Front desk staff, cafe staff and party hosts, each with different tickets.
A Station Duo at the front desk with a customer screen for waivers and entry, and a Mini at the cafe counter.
We stage the system before it ships, install it with you in the room, and rehearse a real service so launch day is not the first time anyone uses it.
| Role | Device | Why it earns its place |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Station Duo | Front desk |
| Add-on | Mini | Cafe counter |
| Add-on | Flex | Party room checkout |
Taking party deposits in a notebook and forgetting the balance at the end.
waivers and entry are processed at the front desk.
parents order coffee while children play.
birthday parties are hosted in a private room.
party deposits and balances are reviewed.
Front desk, cafe and party host roles.
Entry by child count, memberships, parties and a cafe menu in one catalog.
A play cafe makes money three ways: entry, parties and the cafe. Entry priced per child with a sibling rule, parties with a deposit and a headcount adjustment on the day, and a cafe menu that parents can order from a seat are the three pieces, and a waiver and check-in flow at the front desk keeps the room safe and the line short.
What you get from Merchant Fund Express is a team, not a box: installation at your location, practical training and phone support, plus funding options from the same company if your plans grow.
Deposits can be recorded as partial payments and applied at the event.
Entry can be sold as an item with a quantity for the number of children.
The Merchant Fund Express team installs on site, configures your items and trains your staff, then stays available by phone after launch.
Our team installs on site, configures your items and trains your staff, then stays available by phone after launch.
It helps but is not required. A recent processing statement lets us compare your effective rate to what a Clover setup would look like for your sales mix.
Call Merchant Fund Express. We install it, train your staff and stay on the line after launch. Ask for a free rate review while you are at it.
